The code designation of the conical lenses of the solar panel is 3RT:C (R--refracting section (face) of a component lens, T--transmitting section of a component lens, and C--concentrating stage lens). The panel has three conical lenses which receive and transmit incident beams without refraction and which emit the beams with refraction, producing concentrated beams.
Prior art includes three conical lenses which receive annular incipient beams and emit concentrated circular whole beams (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,881,654 and 2,882,784 by Toffolo; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,612 by Clegg) and four conical lenses which receive whole incipient beams and emit concentrated circular whole beams (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,277,148; 4,333,713; 4,492,438; and 4,521,085 by Clegg). None of these lenses is equipped to receive convergent conical beams of diffused sunlight, this being a distinctive feature of the disclosure.
Concurrent art includes three conical lenses by this inventor which receive convergent conical beams of diffused sunlight; Conical Beam Concentrator RT:C, U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,196, dated Mar. 11, 1986; Conical Beam Concentrator RT:C, Ser. No. 651,015, filed Sept. 17, 1984; and Conical Beam Concentrator Heater, RT:C, Ser. No. 641,274, filed Aug. 16, 1984. The concept of using diffused sunlight as a source of solar energy will be introduced to the public with the issue and publication of these patents.
The subject disclosure is similar to the three above concentrators in that it too receives diffused sunlight; it differs from the above concentrators in that it produces a concentrated convergent lateral beam in the horizontal plane rather than a concentrated beam parallel to the vertical optic axis of the lenses.
Concurrent art also includes the Circular Conical Beam Concentrator 2RT:C, Ser. No. 654,297, filed Sept. 25, 1986, by this inventor. This concentrator has an outer annular component lens with a cylindrical section which receives a convergent lateral beam and an inner annular component lens with a concave conical section which emits a concentrated convergent lateral beam. This concentrator is identical to the one featured in the subject disclosure.